


No One is Alone

by Starshe11



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Inspired by Into the Woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 15:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14167683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshe11/pseuds/Starshe11
Summary: No one is truly alone, even in the darkest of times. | Prompt: World of Ruin





	No One is Alone

“I miss them…Grandpa and Prince Noctis, I mean.”

Talcott’s confession startled the group as they rode in his truck on the way back from Costlemark Tower, he and Ignis bumping into Gladiolus, Prompto and Iris on the way back to Lestallum.

 

“I know,” Iris sighed, running a hand through her short hair. She kept it that way ever since she became a daemon slayer. “It’s been ten years now since we lost both of them, huh?”

When the royal retinue had returned from Niflheim, they had been just in time to witness the beginning of a seemingly eternal night. Without the presence of both the Chosen King and the Oracle on Eos, nothing could stand in the way of the Starscourge from taking over the entire realm.

 

Since then, the world had been thrown into chaos. People turning into daemons left and right, the need to become a Hunter lest you wish to die, Lestallum becoming the final frontier of Lucis…

So much had happened over the past decade, leaving so many people broken.

 

“We’ve been doing pretty good for ourselves though, right buddy?” Prompto attempted to lighten the mood, as he was prone to do whenever he was with this particular group. “I mean…we’re all pretty much some of the most kickass people in the country now, yeah?”

“He’s right, y’know,” Gladiolus chimed in, reaching across from Ignis to ruffle the gunner’s hair. “Hell, you and Iggy alone can pretty much take on the daemons in that damn tower without a hitch now.”

“True,” Ignis said, smiling in the general direction of the young man. “Together we make quite the formidable team, and I don’t just mean in regards to our research.”

“Yeah, but still,” Talcott sighed. “I can’t help but wonder what Grandpa and Prince Noctis would do if they were with us right now…what they’d want us to do.”

 

At his words, a heavy silence reigned once more in the small space. No one could say anything for a good while, all of them initially trying to think of a way to cheer up the young Hunter. Soon, they each found themselves lost in the haze of their own memories with both the elder Hester and the Lucian prince.

It was then that Iris remembered a song her mother used to sing to her, something from one of her favorite musicals. Figuring it might be a good way to reassure Talcott, she began to sing, improvising some of the lyrics as she went.

 

—–XV—–

“Jared cannot guide us, now we’re on our own. Though it’s just me beside you…Still, you’re not alone.”

The sound of her voice drew the attention of everyone in the truck and earned a small gasp from Gladiolus, causing Iris to stop singing for a minute. Once she felt it was okay to continue, she did.

 

“No one is alone…Truly, no one is alone.”

Gladiolus then joined Iris in her singing, his deep voice echoing in the small space.

 

“Noctis cannot guide us, now we’re on our own. Though only me beside you…Still, you’re not alone.”

“No one is alone….Truly, no one is alone.”

 

Talcott then interrupted the siblings, murmuring, “I wish…”

Sensing that the teen was on the verge of tears, Iris placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, “I know.” 

 

Then she continued to sing, backing up her brother.

“Both of them aren’t here now (Wrong things, right things)”

 

Ignis and Prompto then decided to join in, now recognizing the song.

“Who knows what he’d say? Who can say what’s true?”

 

Iris and Gladiolus both broke out into grins when they heard the other two sing, laughing a little before they continued.

“Nothing’s quite so clear now (Do things, fight things)”

 

“Feel you’ve lost your way?” Ignis continued, a small smile playing on his lips. “You decide, but…”

“You are not alone.” Gladiolus joined in, playfully wrapping an arm around the blind man.

 

“Believe me, no one is alone~” Prompto sang, a sad smile on his face as he remembered the events of his capture.

“No one is alone, believe me.” Gladiolus hummed, retracting his arm from Ignis to ruffle Talcott’s hair.

 

“Hey, quit it!” The youth laughed, causing the rest of the group to turn in his direction and smile.

“Truly, people make mistakes.” Ignis crooned, looking pointedly at Gladiolus.

 

“Brothers,” the Shield said sheepishly.

“Good friends,” Iris followed up.

 

“People make mistakes, holding to their own,” everyone except Talcott sang, knowing full well from their own experiences that this was true. “Thinking they’re alone.”

“So honor their mistakes,” Gladiolus said proudly, the Trial of Gilgamesh and his time with Cor in mind.

 

“Everybody makes ‘em,” Prompto laughed.

"Fight for their mistakes!” Iris smiled, remembering the day she decided to stand up and do her part in fighting the Starscourge.

 

"For one another’s terrible mistakes,” Ignis muttered, the smile on his face the only indication that he was joking.

“Astrals can say lies, evil may have been good,” he hummed, part of him still bitter at the gods for taking away the one who had been by his side since forever. “But you decide what’s right, you decide what’s good.”

 

"Just remember,” Iris and Gladiolus both sang to Talcott. “Someone is on your side.”

“Our side,” Prompto interjected jokingly. “Hello, the rest of us are still here, y’know?”

 

“Sorry, our side,” Iris giggled, reaching behind her to playfully slap the blonde’s arm.

“But someone else is not, while we’re seeing our side,” Ignis cut in, the words causing the group to immediately think of the one who put them all in this position in the first place.

 

“Yeah, maybe we forgot: they are not alone,” Prompto sang, his tone sheepish. “But then again, no one is alone.”

“Someone is on my side…” Talcott said, smiling contentedly as he felt his heart become more at ease. “No one is alone.”

 

—–XV—–

“Exactly,” Iris winked at him. Before she could say any more, the bright lights of Lestallum came into view.

“Oh look! Here we are!” Prompto cheered. “Singing really makes any trip go faster, I guess.”

“And lightens the heart somehow,” Ignis nodded. Turning in Talcott’s general direction, he asked, “Do you feel better now?”

 

“Mhmm.” Talcott hummed as he pulled the truck into the designated lot. “Thanks everyone…and sorry for bothering you with my problems.”

“Hey, don’t apologize for bringing it up,” Gladiolus chided. “You were honest with us, and that’s a good thing…unlike some scumbags we know.”

“I guess that’s true,” Talcott laughed. “But seriously…thank you all for being here with me. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without your guidance.”

 

“No problem, buddy,” Prompto smiled. “Gotta sit tight until Noct comes back, so might as well do everything we can to make sure the world hasn’t gone to shit…I mean, more than it already has.” He added sheepishly, eliciting a round of laughter from the rest of the group.

“You’re not technically wrong,” Ignis smirked. “That’s all we really can do at this point.”

“And give him a good ass-kicking for leaving us hanging for so long,” Gladiolus joked.

 

“Get in line,” Iris giggled. “Ladies first!”

Talcott smiled to himself as he watched his older companions laugh and joke around with each other like they used to. Closing his eyes briefly, he whispered:

 

“Grandpa…Prince Noctis…this is all thanks to you both. That we can laugh, and be as strong as we are now…thank you. Until we meet again…”


End file.
